Mid layer down jacket for tall female

Try a Marmot Quasar Hoody. Meets all of your criteria. 900 fill down — probably in the 3 ounce fill range. Pertex GL 10D shell. Stuffs into its own pocket for backpacking. It's a decidedly thin athletic cut so a men's medium might well fit you pretty well. Basically a RAB Continuum jacket with a hood. Marmot's claimed weight is all wrong. My men's medium weighs 310 grams or 10.8 ounces.

Lindsey, try MontBell. Both the EX Light and Plasma 1000 are unisex (though you may need to look for them under "Men's") and true to size for men – at least this 6-4, 200 lb guy. Very athletic fit. The two are quite similar; the Plasma is an ounce or so lighter and $70 more expensive. Both do their work as insulating layers very well.

Cheers, Richard

del

Your bargain option would be an ultralight Uniqlo, which has a definite vertical cut to it. The FP is not quite up to your standards tho, at (arguably) 700-740. These come on sale frequently at surprisingly low prices ($60-ish), so wouldn't make a big impression on your pocketbook to try one while you hunt for your ideal jacket.

Thanks for all the replies. So I'm kinda leaning toward the Montbell Frost Smoke Parka or the Montbell Ultra Light Down Parka. Does anyone have the ultra light down parka? Is this jacket warm enough to keep you warm at camp in the 20's? I run cold. The frost smoke parka is back ordered 3 months, ARG! I tried on a Outdoor Research filament jacket in medium and it fit good, but i don't think it could keep me warm enough, and the transcendent is a bit to heavy at 15.5 oz. :(

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I carry the Marmot Quasar as my winter rest-stop top layer. It's similar in weight to the Montbell Smoke. Probably 3 ounces of 900 fill down. I've worn it over a Capilene 4 baselayer stopped in 11 degree (F) temperatures. No problem at all, although I was not sitting for hours and hours.

Around camp at 20 degrees, moving around, cooking, setting up a shelter. No problem. Sitting for hours at a time? Probably need to layer it or get in a sleeping bag. If I were going to be standing around (not generating heat) for hours at a time at 20 degrees, I'd grab a warmer down jacket. Or, for max flexibilty, layer it with my Zeus jacket. That pair is VERY warm and the Zeus is big enough to layer over the trim cut Quasar.

These ultra light down hoodys are fantastic because they weigh so little and pack so small, that you can always carry them and have a very warm option for rest stops or for emergency use when you probably wouldn't need it otherwise. But, the tradeoff for being something that you carry and use all the time is that you are giving up the ultimate warmth of a heavy down parka. F

"Does anyone have the ultra light down parka? Is this jacket warm enough to keep you warm at camp in the 20's? I run cold. "
You won't find it near satisfactory. You might be happy to 40F around camp with the UL Down Inner.

MEC and Arcteryx make down jackets that have a longer/slim fit.
http://www.mec.ca/product/5023-363/mec-light-degree-hoodie-womens/?h=10+50093+50020+50122+50021&f=10+50021+50093+51000

http://arcteryx.com/product.aspx?language=EN&gender=Womens&category=Insulated_Jackets&model=Cerium-LT-Hoody-W

As mentioned, First Ascent has "tall" options in their down garments. I haven't tried one but it looks promising. Consider their "Downlight" or "Downlight Linear" womens jackets in the "tall" version.

I will echo the comments on Eddie Bauer / First Ascent. I'm 6'4" 190lbs and its really nice to see a manufacturer producing 'Tall' sizes. I own the downlight and the peak xv from FA both in Tall Large and they fit really well in all regards.

I'll add to this as well, I have the hoodless Downlight jacket and love it. It has become my go to jacket on our cold days here in NM. Not the lightest, but as many has said, they can often be found for a great price, you can try them on in store to know if fit will be good, and EB's return policy is held in quite high regard. At 5'11" I'm not using the tall variant, but is sounds like that could be right up your alley.

Even though it's not the lightest option, I love my Eddie Bauer Downlight jacket (non-hooded)… but I could do with about 2" of less fabric in the waist and chest. If you have access to a Eddie Bauer store, you could see if a size that fit you in the shoulders, and then order the tall version if they don't have the tall version in-store.

There are so many down jacket options out there, there's got to be one that will fit you well.

I'm not sure that Montbell is going to work out well for you, even if you wait for the backordered Frost/Smoke — MB makes things in Japanese sizes (a race not known for their 6ft tall women, LOL). I think you'd have the same ol' fit problems with any of the MB stuff (if sleeves long enough, the rest of jacket HUGE for you).

So I'm a +1 for a Women's Tall First Ascent for you. Get the puffier Downlight (rather than the MicroTherm, which wouldn't be warm enough). I run cold, too, and I find that my MH Ghost Whisperer just isn't enough in most conditions, because I run cold, but the Downlight is just right!

I've researched the Eddie Bauer FIRST ASCENT DOWNLIGHT (hadn't even thought of Eddie Baur, thanks for that!)and I'm liking it. I was ready to purchase the jacket and EVERYWHERE, seriously everywhere is sold out of a small long! Bummer. I get so excited about new gear and so bummed when i can't have it now. haha! Not sure if i'll have to wait until next season or what.

del

Lindsey, the scene in your avatar looks a bit like Rae Lakes. Is it?

–B.G.–

(Now that I reread your op Lindsey, not sure why you are looking for another down piece to keep you warm in the 20's when you just got a Neutrino, which is good down to ~15F.)

I will use my Rab jacket in the winter months, mountaineering etc. But for 3 season wear when it will occasionally dip into the 20's in the Sierra's, I would burn up and don't want to carry something that heavy.

The Rab has 8 oz of fill, I'm looking for something more around 3.5 oz.

And yes, that is Rae Lakes! :)

I've been reading reviews on the Eddie Bauer Downlight womens jacket. It sounds like there are a lot of complaints that the long is still really short and they run really small. Anyone own one that can comment to size?

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Yea, if non active I would plan on layering. 250 smart wool base layer, down insulation and hard shell. I've used this layering system for awhile and it seems to work okay but my insulation layer isn't quite enough right now. It's an old synthetic down jacket at the end of its life. Hence the hunt for something a little beefier and in between my light weight and Rab jacket. I got the men's Rab jacket wit the 8oz fill. I kinda look like the Michelin man. Haha. I will have to check the specs again but I thought the jacket was over 20oz.

Men's small is 22 oz with 8oz 800 down fill.

I think your plan to use an ultralight down jacket in the way you describe is pretty much spot on. It doesn't sound like you are thinking of it as a winter camping piece, but more of something to use for layering on a milder day that hits a chilly, but not brutal overnight low. A warmer version of a synthetic insulation layer. The down jackets with 3 to 4 ounces of high loft down fill should be perfect for that. More down and they won't fit comfortably under a shell and will be too warm on those 30 to 40 degree mornings.

I have a marmot Zeus, which is 14 ounces total weight with 800 fill down and 20d fabric (no hood) and a Quasar Hoody which is 10.8 ounces total weight with 900 fill down and 10D fabric. Those are at the two extremes of what I would carry for what you are describing. Anything puffier than the Zeus would be too thick to wear under a shell and too Michelin-man to be comfortable unless it's seriously cold. Anything lighter than the Quasar probably wouldn't be warm enough to justify the cost of a down layer.

One more question, is anyone who owns the Men's Quasar Hoody 5'-11" or 6'-0"? It says the inseam is only 32" on a medium and 31" on a small.

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Lindsey:

I don't know how you are supposed to officially measure this stuff, but taking a measuring tape to my Men's Medium Marmot Quasar Hoody:

1) From the neck (where the tag and the hang loop is attached) to the bottom of the back of the jacket is 28 inches. The front zipper is 28 inches

Measuring the sleeve length along the BOTTOM seam of the sleeve starting at the sewn seam under the armpit to the end of the cuff is 24 inches. Along the top of the sleeve, from the shoulder seam, it's 29 inches.